Ore-separating apparatus.



PATENTED PEB. 25, 1908 T. VBITGH.

ORE SEPARATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DBO.19.1906

/NVENTOH l W/TNESSES a@ 7% JAW WAM UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS VEITCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.ASSIGNOR TO .INTERNATIONAL PATENTCORPORATION, OFJERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.A

Original application filed November l2. 1906. Serial No. 343.075.Divided and this application filed December 19. 1906.

' Serial No. 343.637.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS VEITCH, a citizen of the United States, andresident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inOre-Separating Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

In many branches of manufacture it is desirable to graduate andseparat'e granular material according to its speciiic gravity, and alarge number of devices have been constructed for purposes of thisgeneral character. It has been found that when adding liquids-.togranular material, the separation sought to be brought about isparticularly facilitated by using apparatus in which the centrifugalforce is the s eciiic means for graduating the'material and separatingit according to its speciiic gravity. It is a well known fact in sciencethat in using such a process, material of higher specific gravity willtend to place itself at a greater distance from the aXis of rotationthan material of lower specific gravity. In applying machines of thischaracter to mining, and more particularly to the recovery of preciousmetals from ore, it has been found that the combination of a process ofseparating material of diierent speciiic gravity with that ofamalgamating precious metals for the purpose of removing the metal fromits ore,-

Would greatly simplify the treatment-of ore,

and it is the object of the present invention to provide a process andan apparatus for this purpose, which will accomplish the same work inone simultaneous and continuous process and in one ap aratus asheretofore has been accomplishe by an entire series of separatingprocesses and apparatus.

With this end in view, the present invention consists of an apparatusfor separating and raduating granular material by subjecting lie same inthe presence of suitable liquids to the action of centrifugal force,while, in treating metalliferous ores if desired, the amalgamation ofthe separated metallic componente may be brought about by theuse ofmercury. The waste and gangue inboth cases are removed by continuoussiphoning.

The present application is adivision of the application, Serial Number343,075, iiled November 12th, 1906, and limited to the apparatus, whilethe original case describes vtion of the ore.

The ap aratus, used in carrying out the several o jects of the presentinvention, consists in a preferably cylindrical nece tacle, into whichby means of an adjustable head-pressure, liquids, lhaving' distributedtherein the granulated material, intended to be separated, are forced bymeans of a tangential duct, whereby a rotary movement of the contents ofthe receptacle is brou ht about, resulting in the separation and grauation of the component parts, according to their different spe'ciiicgravities, and simultaneously removing the liquids and the components-having the lowest specific gravity through siphoningxby means of acentrally located draft-tube.

If metalliferous ores are used, the separation of the precious metalsfrom the ores may be brought about by the process of amalgamationthrough mercury, suitably located in the apparatus.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation and in part section of the apparatus, andFig. 2 a horizontal cross section in the line A-A of Fig. 1

The apparatus consists of a casing or receptacle 1, made of metal orWood, and res-ting upon a 'suitable su port 2. This receptacle isprovided wit a bottom 3, inclinedtoward the center and having a faucet4.' A top or cover 5 closes'the u per end of the receptacle and may-beattac ed thereto inany suitable manner. A sleeve or stuifing-box of thistopsurrounds a draft-tube 7, movable therein by means of a hand wheel ona shaft 8, having a pinion 9 in mesh with a rack 10 on the tube 7. Thetube 7 may reach to the bottom of the receptacle 1, while its upper endmay be bent downward in form of a siphon.

The receptacle l has at or near its bottom an opening 11, coincidingwith a feed-tube 14, connected to the receptacle 1 in a tangentialdirection, so that any liquid entering the receptacle through the tubeis compelled to move around the inner walls of the receptacle and causea rotary motion of the entire contents, depending in its speed and forceupon `the degree of ressure resulting from the difference in levebetween the surface of the Vliquid in the receptacle and in the inlet orfeed-tube. The o ening 11 is closed by means of a shde 12, a apted to beoperated by a lever 13. A tube 15 is inserted into the tube 14 andmovable therein by means of a hand-wheel 16 and a pinion 17 on the tube14, and a rack 10 on the tube 15. The upper end of the tube 15 is in theshape of a funnel 19 and serves to receive liquids from a supply-pipe 20and granulated material from a chute 21.

By raising or lowering the tube 15, the head of liquid, contained in thetube, will be altered. The raising or lowering of the pipe 7 in asimilar way changes the level of the liquid in the container orreceptacle 1 of the -apparatus as will be noticed hereinafter, and

' granulated material contained in the liquid becomes graduated andseparated into concentric circular layers or Zones of different specificgravity. The' components of higher specific gravity are located furtheraway from lthe axis of rotation than the ones of lower specific gravity.The liquid and its floating components further attain the form of ahollow inverted cone or whirlpool, rising along the walls of thereceptacle, while the apex of the inverted cone isin the axis of thereceptacle. Should the tube 7 be absent and the receptacle open at itsupper end, the liquid contents'of the same would simply be thrown offover the edge of the receptacle.

When in the course of the operation the tube 7 is n'ow lowered into theinverted cone, the liquid of the receptacle enters the tube and isthereby removed from the range of the centrifugal force causing therotation of the liquid within the receptacle, and when the level of theli uid in the tube 7 reaches the upper bend, t e same is siphoned off ofthe receptacle, which process continues under the laws of hydrostaticsas long as liquid is present in the receptacle.

Any solid particles suspended in the li uid have been arranged, asalready stated, according to their specific gravity in concentriccircular zones, Vand the particles of the lowest specific gravity arenow sucked in and siphoned off through the tube 7. If, for instance,precious-stone bearing clay should be used, having been previouslygranulated to a suitable size, the clayey material will remain sus endedin the li uid and siphoned 0H throug the tube 7, w 'le the preciousstones or any-other suspended particles of higher specific gravity maybe removed by suspending the entire operation, in which case theseparticles will be foundin superimposed layers at and near the bottom andlower end of the walls of the receptacle, or they may be removed bymeans of suitably placed tubes, the'openings of which reach Withinv thereceptacle at greater or lesser distance from its axis, or finally drawnoff through the faucet 4.

lrVhen now theapparatus is intended to be used for the concentration ofmetalliferous ores and more particularly for the recovery of preciousmetals from the ore, the bottom 3 of the receptacle 1 may hold a supplyof mercury, while the inner face of the walls may also be covered with alining of amalgamating plates, so that when the precious metal particlescome in contact with the mercury, they form thel corresponding amalgam,which may be removed from time to time from the apparatus.

The process of treating granulated material in an apparatus constructedaccording to the present invention is continuous, and the separation andgraduating of the granular material, and, in case of treatingmetalliferous ores, also the process of amalgamating is simultaneous.The means for chan ing the head of liquid, the substitution of sip ontubes of different diameters, the raising and lowering of the si hontubes and the regulation of the size o lthe inlet opening into thereceptacle, allows of variation of the rocess within wide margins, sothat for different material any adjustment ofthe apparatus, based uponpractical experiments, brings about a final result, representing thehighest percentage of the possible output.

As new and useful is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patentof the United States 1. The combination with a closed circularreceptacle, ofa vertically adjustable feedtube adapted to feedgranulated material in the presence of liquid tangentially into saidreceptacle at or near the bottom of the same, a vertically adjustableSiphon tube, the portion of the same within the receptacle beingcentrally located and the adjustment of the same having a rangeextending substantially the whole\height of the receptacle, and mans forlowering and raising said siphon tu e.

2. The combination with a closed circular receptacle having a conicalbottom adapted to hold a quantity of mercury, of a vertically adjustablefeed-tube adapted to feed granulated material in the presence of liquidtangentially into said receptacle at or near the bottom of the same, avertically adjustable Siphon tube, the portion of the same Within` thereceptacle being1 centrally located and the adjustment of t e same havina'range extendingubstantially the Whole eight of raising said Siphontube.

said Siphon, a pinion and turning shaft on the top of the receptacle andengaging said rack and adapted to raise and lower said 15 siphon.

the receptale, and means for lowering and 3. The Combination with aclosed circular i receptacle, of a vertically adjustable feedtubeadapted to feed granulated material in 4 Signed at. New York, in theCounty of the presence of liquid tangentially into said New York andState of New York, this 30th reoeptaol1 at (r nearbthe blttoin (ifthlsame, day of November, A. D. 1906.

a vertioa y a 'usta e si on tu e, t e orj y tion of the sanie within hereceptacle bging l THOMAS VEITCH centrally located and the adjustment ofthe i same having a range extending substantially I the whole height ofthe receptacle, a rack on Witnesses:

SIGMUND HERZOG, MARVIN F. Woon.

